Shoppers pack the aisles at the new Aldi market in Fountain Valley on Thursday.

After paying at a full service checkout counter, shoppers bag their own groceries at a table against the wall. Once again, this saves on labor as extra employees are not needed to bag groceries. Don't forget to bring your own bags. If you don't, Aldi sells reusable totes or paper bags.

Pineapples in the produce section of the new Aldi discount supermarket in Buena Park for $1.45 each.

Serrano Peppers at $1.25 a pound at the new Aldi discount supermarket in Buena Park.

Aldi stores across the country, including California, recently starting adding a variety of fresh fish. Fresh Atlantic salmon is $6.49 per pound; salmon with a spice rub is $7.49 per pound. Aldi executive Gordon Nesbit said more consumers are demanding fresh, not frozen, fish in stores. In fact, over the years the frozen section at Aldi stores has diminished as the chain adds more fresh goods to meet consumer demand, Nesbit said.

Nancy Devere, 64, holds up a recliner cushion she bought Thursday at Aldi's grand opening in Buena Park. She paid $7.99 a deep discount compared to similar cushions she bought recently at Walmart for $24.99.

Aldi executives shake hands as shoppers wait in line to enter the new Aldi market in Fountain Valley on Thursday.

Shoppers pack the isles at the new Aldi market in Fountain Valley on Thursday.

Ken Bandy of Dana Point, left, traveled all the way to Fountain Valley to shop at Aldi market when he heard they carried an assortment of hard-to-find German cheeses.

A unique feature of Aldi markets is that customers have to bag their own groceries. Staff was on hand to help shoppers during the grand opening of their Fountain Valley store on Thursday.

Shoppers pack the isles at the new Aldi market in Fountain Valley on Thursday.

Coffee in a variety of flavors at the new Aldi discount supermarket in Buena Park.

Gordon Nesbit, vice president of Aldi's Moreno Valley Division, talks about how store items are stocked on the shelves more efficiently while still in their cardboard cases rather than one item at a time saving on labor cost.

The first people in line at the Anaheim Aldi on Thursday were the Bratcher family: left to right: Anagrace, Corrie, Julia and Emma. Corrie Bratcher and her daughter got in line at 5:15 a.m.

Elena Hernandez, 74, of Anaheim came to the Aldi opening and received this $25 coupon. She was the No. 6 person in line at Aldi in Anaheim.

Aldi in Buena Park held its grand opening on this Thursday. This photo was taken Monday as the store opened quietly ahead of the official opening.

A price comparison on Sprite versus Citrus Twist at Aldi in Buena Park.

Customers visit Aldi in Anaheim as the store is open for its soft opening. Stores in Orange County will hold a grand opening on Thursday.

Customers visit Aldi in Anaheim as the store is open for its soft opening. Stores in Orange County will hold a grand opening on Thursday.

Red Onions at the new Aldi discount supermarket in Buena Park at $1.69 for a 2 pound bag.

Dia Hernandez, a store associate (employee), of Aldi walks through the new Aldi discount supermarket in Buena Park checking the shelves and other details to make sure everything is perfect before their Grand Opening in a couple of days.

When Corrie Bratcher moved to Orange County from Tennessee five years ago, the first thing she looked for was a go-to low-price grocery store.

“Is there any Aldis around here?” she asked neighbors and friends.

No one knew anything about the extreme discounter, whose stores operated in the Midwest and East Coast. California was not the chain’s radar — until now.

On Thursday, the German-born extreme discounter officially opened its three Orange County stores. Hundreds of bargain hunters lined up early to get inside markets in Anaheim, Buena Park and Fountain Valley, including Bratcher.

She was first in line in Anaheim. With a big family, she said she’s ready to save money. Aldi, she estimated, will cut her grocery bill in half.

“I’d rather have an Aldi any day than a Trader Joe’s,” Bratcher said.

Aldi, which has family ties to Trader Joe’s, operates 1,500 stores in 32 U.S. states. The chain, with its U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., sells private-label copycats of the 1,500 most popular groceries. The chain claims to save shoppers up to 50 percent on their grocery bill.

In California, stores are larger and have a wider assortment of items including wine and produce.

Julie Bruton used to shop at Aldi 20 years ago when she lived in Kansas. The Fullerton resident plans to come to the Anaheim Aldi regularly because she knows it will save her at least $200 a month.

“I would drive up to a half an hour for an Aldi,” she said.

Though most of the 10 stores held soft openings earlier in the week, hundreds of curious shoppers crowded stores on Thursday. Many had coupons valid only during the grand opening. In Anaheim, a line snaked outside the store at 10 a.m., more than an hour after the store had opened.

“I got the last one. I don’t know how I’m going to put it in my Mercedes,” said Lila Whiteford, 79, of Fullerton.

The California store openings mark the beginning of Aldi’s march West. To date, Aldi has revealed 27 of its 45 California locations planned for this year. In addition to stores in Orange County, Aldi opened markets Thursday in Arcadia, Cerritos, Covina, Inglewood, La Verne, Palmdale and San Bernardino.

Burt Flickinger, managing director of retail consulting firm Strategic Resource Group, said Aldi stores in Southern California have the potential to generate sales of $30 million to $35 million per store, per year. That compares to $12 million to $14 million for Albertsons; $15 million to $16 million at Vons; and $17 million to $18 million at Ralphs.

Aldi said it plans to open more stores in Southern California with at least a dozen more planned for Orange County. The first eight California stores opened last month in the Inland Empire.

Contact the writer:nluna@ocregister.com and follow the Fast Food Maven on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Nancy Luna is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. She's been the Register's restaurant beat writer since 2005, covering some of the biggest players in the industry: In-N-Out, Chipotle, McDonald’s and Taco Bell. Luna also covers dining trends from food halls to food trucks. She writes with authority and is considered an expert in her field.

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